Tanaka shuts down Minnesota in as New York snags win, 3-1

NEW YORK -- Masahiro Tanaka shut down Joe Mauer and the other Minnesota hitters while lowering his AL-leading ERA to 2.06, and Brian McCann lined a go-ahead double in the eighth inning Saturday that sent the New York Yankees over the Twins 3-1.

Tanaka (8-1) permitted only an unearned run in eight innings. The heralded rookie from Japan gave up four singles, just two leaving the infield.

Tanaka walked two and bounced two wild pitches. But he was especially sharp against Mauer, the three-time AL batting champion.

Mauer, who faced Tanaka in spring training, struck out on three pitches in the first inning with a runner on third. Mauer fanned on four pitches with runners on second and third in the third, then tapped into a double play and later grounded out.

Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira left in the sixth because of soreness in his surgically repaired right wrist, the same problem that forced him to miss three games this week.

Orioles 4, Astros 1 Nelson Cruz hit his major league-leading 20th home run and drove in three runs to back a solid start by Chris Tillman, as the Orioles snapped a four-game skid with a win over the Astros.

The loss ends a season-best seven-game winning streak for the Astros.

Tillman (5-2) allowed one run on four hits over 6 2-3 innings to bounce back after allowing 14 runs combined in his last two starts. Zach Britton pitched a scoreless ninth for his fourth save.

The Orioles took the lead when Dallas Keuchel (6-3) walked home two runs in the fifth and Cruz extended the lead to 4-1 with his solo shot to left-center off Jerome Williams in the eighth.

Cruz's 52 RBIs lead the majors and are the most in team history at the end of May, surpassing the 50 RBIs Chris Davis had entering June last year.

Blue Jays 12, Royals 2 Juan Francisco had three hits and four RBIs and Marcus Stroman won his first career start as the Blue Jays used a seven-run first inning to rout the Royals.

Adam Lind went 3 for 5 with three RBIs as the AL East-leading Blue Jays snapped a two-game losing streak and finished May with a record of 21-9. Toronto has won 15 of its past 19.

Stroman (2-0) allowed one run and five hits in six innings. The right-hander walked none and struck out six.

Todd Redmond worked the final three innings for his first save.

The Blue Jays gave Stroman all the support he would need with a 12-batter first inning against Royals right-hander Aaron Brooks, who was also making his first career start. Toronto set a team record when the first eight batters reached safely against Brooks. The Blue Jays had seven straight reach safely to begin a win over Baltimore on Sept. 15, 2007.

Mariners 3, Tigers 2 Willie Bloomquist delivered a pair of two-out RBI singles to help lift the Mariners to a victory over the Tigers.

Chris Young allowed two runs and three hits over six innings to improve to 5-2 on the year. After allowing the first two runners to reach base in the ninth inning, Fernando Rondey picked up his 14th save of the season.

Stefen Romero and John Buck each singled to put runners on the corners with one out in the second inning. Cole Gillespie hit a dribbler off the end of the bat just past the mound to score Romero and give the Mariners a 1-0 lead. Bloomquist added another run with a two-out RBI single that scored Buck from second.